Category Archives for "Sheila Hellermann | Just Don’t Ask Me to Sing"

Teaching Confirmation classes to 11th graders can be challenging. You cannot get much reaction or gauge interest. Last week I taught a lesson about where the Holy Spirit can be found in their lives. I issued a challenge at the end of class for these students to use the gift of the Holy Spirit, which […]

A friend shared this with me last week: “When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the […]

I saw the challenge in The Central Minnesota Catholic magazine to reflect deeply and prayerfully on the question “What are you waiting for?” during Advent. It is an important question this year, for me and for the world. The media would have us believing that shipping delays and supply chain issues are going to “ruin” […]

On Sunday I ran a 10-mile race in the Cities. I survived. Admittedly there were times I struggled, especially around mile eight. It is a race from Minneapolis to St. Paul and the streets are filled with supportive people holding signs. Some are funny, like “Is a free banana really worth this?” and “worst parade […]

Sunrises are later and sunsets are earlier and I find myself running in the dark again each morning. I noticed something the other morning. When I am going in certain directions, my shadow is in front of me, rather than behind. When I see that shadow, I can evaluate my form. Are my arms moving […]

This week I read Simone Biles’s tweet that the support she has received “made me realize I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I never truly believed before.” This is important for her, and everyone, as we struggle through life and the pressures, expectations, and demands. We are more than how others define us. […]

This summer so far has produced very little rain, causing lots of dry fields and lawns. I remember a fall harvest season a couple years ago that was exceptionally wet. Reflecting on this, I have been thinking much about farmers. Each spring, they invest in seeds, fertilizer and time preparing fields and planting. Then they […]

The last blog I wrote talked about “The Chosen.” It tells the story of Jesus through the eyes, and backstories, of his followers. It is outstanding. One of the really unique things is that the Apostle Matthew, played by Paras Patel, is autistic. Jesus came to call everyone including the sick and outcasts, particularly those […]

This phrase has stuck with me since watching the last episode of season one of “The Chosen.” “The Chosen” is a series that explores what the individuals of the Gospels in the Bible were experiencing in their lives when they encountered Jesus. The Bible does not tell us their stories, or only in broad strokes. […]

A trip through any store in the last few weeks will remind you it is Valentine’s Day. For such a minor holiday (relative to those like Easter and Christmas), the stores and advertisements are sure counting on this one for sales. I read that Valentine’s Day spending nationwide is expected to reach $27.4 billion this […]